Is It Possible to Survive a Saw Movie?

Jigsaw is a very crafty, extremely intelligent horror slasher. While he believes his intentions are just and for the greater good, he is ultimately responsible for many victims. The fact of the matter is: most victims do not survive Jigsaw and his Saw movie traps.  Many Saw fans wonder, however, how would one survive a Jigsaw torture trap or Saw movie? Is surviving a Saw movie even possible?

Horror Enthusiast has plunged into the Saw franchise in an attempt to identify and classify the greatest threats in a Saw film.

Threats Found in a Saw Movie

Although there are a multitude of unique and creative threats throughout the Saw movies, some of the greatest threats can be easily identified and outlined.  A horror fan can use this guide to survive a Saw movie or Jigsaw trap house!

The Traps

The most obvious threats in a Jigsaw house or Saw movie are the traps.  Jigsaw is a highly skilled mechanical engineer who is able to create the most intimidating (and deadly) traps of all time.  Jigsaw uses all types of mechanisms and gadgets to force his victims to take action or lose their lives.  Jigsaw is famous for “giving his victims a chance to live,” even calling it “a game;” However, most of his victims will tell you (the very few who have survived) that it is not a game and it is not very fun.  The traps are oftentimes custom-made to match the victim and their atrocities.

In order to survive a Jigsaw trap or a trap from a Saw movie, you have to be willing to shed some blood and possibly lose a limb or other important part of your body (an eye, fingers, your stomach, etc).

Bleeding Out

Even if a Jigsaw victim makes it out of a trap, they are still frequently left in no condition to retrieve help…and violently bleeding out.  Sometimes, they die trying to get help after literally cutting off a limb. Other times they sever parts of their body to beat a Jigsaw game only to still fail and bleed out.  Because most of the traps involve sharp metal or torture devices meant to inflict pain, people typically bleed a lot and thus bleeding out becomes a grave concern when trying to survive a Saw movie.

To ensure you do not lose too much blood after getting out of a Saw trap, be sure to issue first aid…cauterize when necessary and possible.

Psychological Madness

A lot of people panic almost right away when waking up into a Saw trap.  This panic is a ‘fight or flight’ response and releases a lot of adrenaline.  The adrenaline can be useful in survival, but ultimately may cloud the victim’s judgment and thinking process. There is also some serious psychological torment in explaining to someone that they must torture themselves.  Unfortunately, many of Jigsaw’s traps require a steady hand and clear head to successfully accomplish.

Beating a Jigsaw trap requires patience and smooth thinking in what limited time remains, therefore, maintaining your sanity is important in surviving a Saw movie.

The Location

Not every Saw game is created equally.  Some games are set in a single, tiny room…while other times elaborate trap houses are setup by Jigsaw. While the actual size of the location makes a huge difference, it is important to remember that other factors may be at play as well.  Seeing as the victims cannot usually escape unless they beat the game, they are often met with many reasons to WANT to leave. In Saw II, for example, the house is filled with poisonous gas.

Surviving a Saw movie means being aware of your environment and remembering that typically nothing is what it seems!

The Timing

Some games are more time-sensitive than others.  There are smaller, faster-paced games that give the victim only a few moments to live after waking up from their abduction and playing a tape.  And then there are longer games that can keep a group of 5 or 6 people active for the entire duration of a movie.  Depending upon the time given for survival, a victim may be more or less likely to consider all of their options for a Jigsaw game victory.

In order to survive a Jigsaw trap, it is important to identify how much time you have been given, and the best way to spend the time you have left!

Other Game Players

A lot of the “games” Jigsaw plays involve more than one player. It is often times quite hypocritical…as on the one hand he is trying to “give the players a chance to live” but on the other hand, they are forced to compete with one another (assuring a loser dies).  Since the players are often in a competition-style environment, they are almost always a threat to one another, whether immediately, eventually, directly, indirectly, or discreetly. Sometimes (like in Saw II for example), the players kill each other.

Having social skills and always watching your back is a priority when stuck in a Jigsaw Trap House or Saw movie!

Tetanus

Although most people these days have their Tetanus shot, a Jigsaw house would be a NIGHTMARE for anyone who has not been vaccinated. So much metal, especially salvaged junk are used in Jigsaw’s traps.  Additionally, the places he chooses to manifest his crimes are typically less than sanitary environments.

Make sure you always have your Tetanus shot prior to being abducted by Jigsaw or participating in a Saw movie!

Final Notes: Getting Out of a Saw Movie Alive

Remembering to identify the threats is key in surviving a Saw movie.  Depending upon the type of trap, the location, the other players involved and several other facts…a player may be able to overcome a trap and ultimately survive. Still, Jigsaw is one of the deadliest horror movie killers and the traps are oftentimes custom designed for the victims. Entering a trap house designed by Jigsaw does not provide very good probability of survival for anyone. 

Most people who wind up in a Jigsaw trap will not make it out.

The Making of the Saw Movie Traps

The Saw movies are some of the scariest horror films to ever screen.  This is probably because a lot of the torture and traps found in the Saw movies could be replicated in real life and rely on no special powers. Saw bred a new type of horror killer, one that was smart, mechanically inclined and strategic.  Jigsaw is so good at being a horror slasher that he has even overcome his own death to continue killing from beyond the grave.

So how were the Saw prop-traps made? How did the crew and engineers put together these terrifying contraptions that Saw fans enjoy in all of the films?  Horror Enthusiast has paused every scene to inspect every bolt and every spring to find the origin of the Saw trap designs.

How The Saw Traps Were Made

Although each movie features different cast and crew, a lot of the ideas behind creating torture devices that inflict “unimaginable pain” on human beings seem to spread from movie to movie fairly easily. Here are some of the things that are known about the creation of the traps in the Saw movies.

Must Force Victims Into Action

The Saw traps have one hugely common theme: they force a victim into action which poses imminent danger for their life. Most of the traps bring the victims very close to death, if not actually killing them. Because of the risk, the victims must be forced to act. 

Capable of Death

Just about every trap risks the victim’s life completely. There is no chance of survival if the victim fails to beat the game.  Many of the traps deploy an unsustainable injury in the event the victim loses.

The Game Must Be Beatable

Any AUTHENTIC Jigsaw trap is supposed to be able to be won by the victim. This is to provide motivation for the victim to want to fight for their life.

Timed Traps

Many of the traps are timed, so that there is a reason to act with urgency.  This ensures a victim cannot simply “ignore the situation” or “wait it out,” but that the situation requires their attention.

An Instruction Manual

Jigsaw never leaves his victims in the dark, in the sense that they do not know what is going on. Each victim is informed, nearly right away, that they are there because of actions they have taken (or failed to take) in their life.  They are informed (usually by audio or video tape) that they have a chance to survive if they survive playing a game. Each trap is briefly explained with an idea of how to beat it. Only the determined shall survive!

Super Scary Looking

While Jigsaw may inform the victims of their imminent doom, nearly every Jigsaw trap is self-explanatory. The terrifying metal, teeth, blades, razors and needles used in the Saw movies are meant to strike fear in the heart but also show the audience exactly what is at risk.

Real Mechanical Designs

With the exception of SOME of the traps in the newer films, almost all of the traps are real, mechanical designs. That means, no CGI. An authentic Jigsaw trap should be made of metal, not pixels.

The Traps Must Be Safe

The crew ensured that although the traps may have looked incredibly dangerous…they were in fact, very much safe for the actors themselves.

Final Engineering Notes: Saw Movie Traps

Jigsaw may have had a team of engineers and special effects people to help him make his traps in the movie, but the truth is, there is no limit to the creativeness in human innovation.  If more Saw movies were made, more traps would be devised and boundaries, pushed. The traps featured in the Saw movies thus far have been gruesome and claimed many victims. While they claim Jigsaw (2017) was the last of the franchise, there always seems to be “another final chapter” and another house of traps, right around the corner!